282 



of trees has not proportionately increased so much, is that the 

 number of trees planted per acre during 1906 was not so many 

 as previously. 



That all the plants, young and old, should be alive and vigo- 

 rous in 1906 is practically impossible, even with skilled care and 

 perfect conditions there must be among plants as among all other 

 living things a percentage of deaths continually going on. 

 Drought, excess of moisture, sudden winds, insect, fungal, and 

 bacterial pests and many accidental causes are responsible for a 

 certain number of deaths of plants at various stages of growth on 

 every estate. 



Every Superintendent endeavours to reduce the number of 

 these casualties as far as possible, but if one in every 300 trees 

 dies each year this need not be considered a high percentage in 

 trees of 5 years and upwards, and the mortality is greater before 

 that period. So that we may expect that of the 10 million trees 

 something between 9 and 10 million will be alive and flourishing 

 in 1912, and this at 1 lb. per tree will give about 4,250 tons or 

 ■&rd of the probable world's consumption in 1912. 

 Rubber Statistics, Federated Malays States, up to the 

 3ist December, 1906. 



Dry rubber extracted lbs . . 620 n« 



The Future of Plantation Rubber. 

 Accurate estimates of the world's rubber consumption are 

 not easy to make, the only reliable data available are found 



KK° rUde mbber ex P or t and import returns of the fi ve ia^ 

 rubber consuming countries, viz., Great Britain, United Stat - 

 Germany, France and Belgium. 



The gross import returns include rubber which is &f***L 

 exported from these five countries to each other, but also inau 

 all the rubber which is exported to other countries whose >mpo 

 returns are not available. 



The nett import returns, i.e., the import minus the exj» fc 

 I J 1V l a COrrect %ure of the world's consumption, an 

 probable that the gross imports of these five countries are m 



